Belgae

The Belgae were a confederation of Gauls that lived between the English Channel and the western bank of the Rhine River, roughly within the present-day state of Belgium and northern France.

History
The Belgae were from Nemecatum and Bavay in present-day Belgium, and they were a confederation of several tribes in the region. Julius Caesar launched a series of "Gallic Wars" against the Gauls from 58 BC to 52 BC, and the Belgic tribes were defeated at the 57 BC Battle of the Sambre (Sabis). The Belgae were reduced to a client state of the Roman Republic, and they had good relations with Caesar's adoptive heir Octavian, who assisted in their expansion. The Belgae conquered up to Brittany in the west and up to northern Germany and Denmark in the east, but wars with the Marcomanni and Cherusci and rebellions by subjugated tribes kept them from expanding further. In addition, Octavian was often distracted by civil wars with the other members of the Second Triumvirate, so he was unable to help the Belgae in their wars.